Endeavour Scholar among top students in NZ

Law student Andrea Kapeteni is a very special scholar. 

The former St Cuthbert’s College Deputy Head Girl learned recently that she has won an NZQA Scholarship after sitting their examination in Geography last year. The achievement puts Andrea in the top 3 per cent of students nationally. 

Andrea was able to attend St Cuthbert’s College after she was offered an Endeavour Scholarship. 

The Endeavour Scholarship programme, initiated in 2001 by St Cuthbert’s College together with King’s School and King’s College, is specifically for students of Maori and Pasifika descent and is the biggest scheme of its kind. 

It provides funding for education from Year 7 all the way through to Year 13 for girls and boys to enable them to develop their full potential. 

All go forward to tertiary education, many - like Andrea - winning scholarships due to their outstanding achievements in academic, sporting and other areas while at school. 

In Andrea’s case, these include singing in the College’s Saints Alive choir (they won a bronze in the Big Sing National Finale at Auckland Town Hall), playing basketball for the College’s under-19 B team, and winning double cultural honours for her involvement with the Samoan Cultural Group and her many accomplishments in music. 

Andrea, who lives with her family in the South Auckland suburb of Weymouth, has also been a committed volunteer for many causes, particularly the Habitat for Humanity organisation, which builds homes for families in need. 

Andrea is now studying for a BA LLB degree at the University of Auckland. “University life is very different to St Cuthbert’s,” she said, “but so far I’m loving it!” 

Andrea’s younger brother, Anthony, is also an Endeavour Scholar. He is 16 and in Year 12 at King’s College. When he received his scholarship to King’s in 2006, he and Andrea became the first “Endeavour siblings”. 

The NZQA scholarship results confirm St Cuthbert’s College as New Zealand’s top school at Scholarship level for the sixth consecutive year. Students at the all-girls college were awarded a total of 120 scholarships.